Greece and the Palestinian Authority are to form a joint ministerial committee aimed at strengthening their relationship, it was announced Thursday.

The head of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, revealed the initiative after talks with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in Ramallah. It was also announced that Abbas will visit Athens on December 21 and 22.

“We ask states that have not yet recognized Palestine as a state but who believe in a two-state solution to do so,” said Abbas. Tsipras said that his government is in favor of a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders.

On Thursday, Tsipras also met with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and Jerusalem Patriarch Theophilos.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras informed President Prokopis Pavlopoulos on Thursday of an invitation by Israeli President Reuven Rivlin to visit the country, government sources said.

According to the sources, during a phone call earlier this morning with the President, Tsipras said of Rivlin’s intention to extend an invitation to visit and Pavlopoulos agreed to do so at the start of 2016.

Source: Kathimerini, newsbomb.gr